California Laser Co

Regulators say this enterprise won't fly. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit Friday to shut the operations and freeze the assets of a San Fernando Valley businessman accused of falsely telling investors that his company was endorsed by the actor who played Scotty on the original "Star Trek" TV series. The SEC civil suit charges Nicholas L. Geranio, 41, and his Van Nuys firm, California Laser Co.

Regulators say this enterprise won't fly. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit Friday to shut the operations and freeze the assets of a San Fernando Valley businessman accused of falsely telling investors that his company was endorsed by the actor who played Scotty on the original "Star Trek" TV series. The SEC civil suit charges Nicholas L. Geranio, 41, and his Van Nuys firm, California Laser Co.

California Laser Co., a Van Nuys-based holographic-imaging company that claimed to have an endorsement from actor James Doohan of "Star Trek" fame, has settled fraud charges, regulators said. The Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that California Laser and its founder, Nicholas Geranio, falsely told investors that Doohan endorsed the company. California Laser and Geranio used that claim and high-pressure, boiler-room telemarketing sales to raise more than $2.